The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

A breather for the education authorities
Tribune News Service

Hard work took her to the top

For the Kalyans, the Nirjala Ekadashi today has certainly brought good luck. The youngest born of a bus conductor in Haryana Roadways, Mr Sube Singh Kalyan, Sonu Kalyan has topped in the district by securing 82. 17 per cent. “It was hard work alone that helped me reach the top,” exclaimed an elated Sonu.

Interestingly, this topper was fasting today on account of Nirjala Ekadashi. “Other than hard work, one also requires the blessings of the Almighty,” she says. Sonu says that she had not kept any tuitions and was relying only on lessons given in school. The school had arranged for special classes throughout the year.

Her mother, Ms. Kamla Devi, who is herself illiterate, says that she had always wanted her children to do well. “Being illiterate myself, I had only expected my children to do become literate. But God has been kind and they have all done very well. It is all because of God’s grace and their own hard work,” she says.

Panchkula, June 21
The average performance by most schools in class X results declared by the Haryana School Education Board in the district has come as a breather for the district education authorities, who had got brickbats for the poor show in class XII results declared last week.

Though the performance of most government schools affiliated to Haryana School Education Board was dismal, the pass percentage in the district is 54. 55 per cent, which is way ahead of the pass percentage of 39. 6 percent for class XII results with over 2000 students in the district failing to clear the examinations.

According to information available, as many as 4465 studying in around 70 government, private schools and schools recognised by the board, had appeared in the examinations conducted in April earlier this year. No school in the district — be it government, private or recognised — has been able to achieve a cent percent result. Also, a mere 29 students have managed to secure above 75 percent marks.

Priti Nandwal (80.8%)

Veena (80.1%)

Though the pass percentage of private schools in the district had shown an increase over the past few years (62 per cent students in private schools have cleared the examinations), the performance of government schools in the district has once again raised many an eyebrow.

The pass percentage in the 50 government schools here is 50. 91 per cent. These schools had fared badly last year too, with the pass percentage being a little over 40. In fact, in one of the schools, of the 131 students who had appeared in the examinations, 60 have flunked. In most of the schools, the number of compartment cases is more than the number of pass students.

Similar is the case with recognised schools, with the number of failed candidates and those getting compartments, far outnumbering the number of pass candidates. The exception has been New India Senior Secondary School , with 16 of the top 20 positions having been secured by students of this school. Atleast 87 students of the total of 179 have managed to get a first division. Three students of the school- Sonu Kalyan, Priti Nandwal and Veena have secured above 80 percent marks.

Variety programme by PEC students
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 21
After one month of intensive practical training in different branches of engineering, first-year students of Punjab Engineering College staged a colourful variety programme in the college auditorium here today.

Starting the programme with Saraswati vandana, the students staged a number of hilarious skits interspersed with dance numbers and songs. Besides capturing the vigour of Punjab through a number of folk dances like gabroo dance, dandaas and bhangras, the students danced to the famous Bollywood hit numbers like “Janam samjha karo” and other fusion numbers.

The students mocked on various issues on modern-day life through skits like “Abla mard”, “Pipa” and “Jamana cable ka.”

The workshop, which is part of the first-year course, aims at developing team spirit, leadership qualities, physical conditioning, discipline and development of communication skill ultimately imbibing stage confidence through this cultural show.

According to Dr V.P. Singh, superintendent of the workshop, this concept has not only helped the authority to eliminate ragging but also enabled the college authority to identify the trait and characteristics of every student through the close association of faculty members and new-comers of the college during this month-long workshop.

DOEACC accreditation for institute
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21
The Department of Electronics Accreditation of Computer Courses (DOEACC) has granted full-fledged accreditation for ‘A’ level course to the city-based GCS Computer Tech.

With this, the institute has become only the third in Punjab to be granted full accreditation by the DOEACC for starting ‘A’ level course, which is an advanced diploma level course, equivalent to the Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Applications (PGDCA).According to Mr Gurmeet Singh, managing director, GCS Computer Tech Private Limited, “This achievement of ours is the result of our dedicated efforts of more than two years and we are committed to fulfil our mission to provide quality and latest education.”

The institute is already associated with Punjab Technical University as the regional service provider for graduate and postgraduate courses such as BSc (IT), MSc (IT), PGDCA, MCA, MBA etc.

Mr Singh said, “The eligibility for the ‘A’ level course is graduation or ‘O’ level course which are already being run by the GCS.

Those completing the course will be eligible for lateral entry into the third semester of MSc (IT) course of the PTU. The course prepares students for taking up career as a programmers, web content Developers, web administrators or as training faculty.”

The DOEACC society is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of the Central Government responsible for imparting computer and IT education in the non-formal sector.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Panch can be ZP member
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21
In less than 24 hours before members of panchayat samitis and zila parishads were to be sworn in, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today quashed a communication issued by the Punjab State Election Commission to the Deputy Commissioners of Punjab. As per the communication a panch or a sarpanch had to submit his resignation before taking oath.

Delivering the verdict on a petition filed by the sarpanch of Alamgir village in Ludhiana district, Kulwant Singh, the Bench comprising Mr Justice J.S. Khehar and Mr Justice Jasbir Singh, also directed the authorities concerned to administer oath to the petitioner as zila parishad member, along with other elected members, at Patiala.

Speaking for the Bench, Mr Justice Khehar observed that the memorandum dated May 28 was not only contrary, but also beyond the scope of the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act. “We have no hesitation in holding that the same is ultra vires of the Act and is, therefore, quashed,” the Judge concluded.

Kulwant Singh, in his petition, had earlier sought the quashing of the communication. Claiming it to be illegal and against the provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act, his counsel had submitted on his behalf that being a panch or a sarpanch was not a disqualification under the provisions of the Act. He had also asked for directions to the state of Punjab and another respondent to permit him to take oath as a zila parishad member without submitting his resignation.

Arrest stayed

Issuing notice for July 1, Mr Justice Ashutosh Mohunta of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed that the Vice-Chairman of the Punjab School Education Board Gurdev Singh Sidhu will not be arrested until then in the Tota Singh case.

Pronouncing the orders on his petition, Mr Justice Mohunta also asked the Vice-Chairman to appear before SP (Vigilance) Surinder Pal Singh on June 28.

Notice issued

Taking up a petition filed by Affshaan Ansari, wife of UP Vidhan Sabha member Mukhtar Ansari, Mr Justice Ashutosh Mohunta on Friday directed the issuance of a seven-day notice if she was required by the police in any case.

The Judge also issued a notice to the state of Haryana and other respondents for June 28. In her petition, Affshaan Ansari had earlier claimed that she and her family were being harassed by the police. Her counsel had added that on June 18, a police party had even threatened them.

7 more judges for high court
Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21
Five members of the Bar and two members of the superior judiciary are likely to be administered oath as Punjab and Haryana High Court Judges in the first week of July with the President of India reportedly giving his consent today. The number of Judges, with these appointments, will go up to 33 as against the sanctioned strength of 40.

The members of the Bar, as per the available information, include Mr Viney Mittal, Mr S.S. Saron, Mr S.K. Mittal, Mr Varinder Singh and Mr Hemant Gupta. The members of the superior judiciary include Mr S.S. Grewal and Ms Kiran Nand Lal.

The number of High Court Judges had recently decreased from 28 to 26 with the retirement of Justice S.S. Sudhalkar and the transfer of another Judge to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. Two more Judges, including Ms Justice Bakhshish Kaur, will retire within the next few months further decreasing the number to 24. Another Judge is expected to be elevated as the Chief Justice of a High Court.

According to highly placed sources in the High Court, the decreasing number of Judges has led to an increase in the pendency of cases. The shortage is not only forcing the over-burdened Judges to work till late in the afternoon, it has also resulted in an increase in the backlog. Sources claim that civil cases dating back to the mid-80s are pending in the High Court, while criminal appeals against acquittals are pending since the mid-90’s.

This is not all. As per a report released by the Press Information Bureau last year, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had the second highest number of dowry death cases in the country. As many as 842 such cases were awaiting disposal when the report was released in June, 2001. The Rajasthan High Court, with 926 cases, topped the list.

In an attempt to bring down the number of old cases pending in the courts, the High Court, had earlier recommended the constitution of a special cell for chalking out a programme to list old cases on a priority basis. A committee of three Judges had also suggested that “two officers of the Punjab and Haryana Superior Judicial Service may be appointed for the purpose”.

The committee had also suggested that the cases pending before the subordinate courts, in which the High Court had issued stay orders, “may be listed for hearing on a priority basis before all Benches on Fridays”. Two Benches could be left out of the process for deciding urgent bail matters after hearing the arguments, the committee had further suggested.

It had also requested the Judges “not to give fresh dates for Fridays so that the old cases could be taken up for hearing”. The authorities had also been directed to prepare “a consolidated list of cases in which proceedings had been stayed by the High Court, but cases were still pending before the subordinate courts”.

For solving the problem of increasing vacancies of High Court Judges, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs has also reportedly written a letter to the states of Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory of Chandigarh to initiate the process of appointing Judges at least six months before the retirement of the sitting ones.

DISTRICT COURTS
Judicial remand for rape accused
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 21
An accused arrested by the UT police for allegedly raping an 11-year-old resident of Palsora was today remanded in judicial custody for 14 days by the UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr C.L. Mohal.

As per the prosecution, the accused, Bhag Singh, who was running a shop in the village, had allegedly raped the victim on June 20 when she had gone to buy items from the grocery store. The UT police had registered a case against the accused.

Remand extended

An advocate, Mr Arun Madan, allegedly involved in forging the Supreme Court orders was today further remanded in judicial custody by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr C.L. Mohal, till July 3.

According to the CBI, Arun Madan had been booked under Sections 420, 466, 468 and 471, IPC, under the directions of Supreme Court.

The CBI had alleged that Arun Madan either himself had forged the orders of the Supreme Court or had procured them from some other sources.

Pirated cassettes

Two persons arrested by the UT police for allegedly selling pirated video and audio discs were today remanded in police remand by a local court.

A team of Super Cassettes Industries Limited had raided the two shops in Sector 19 and Sector 20 on June 20 and claimed to have recovered the pirated compact discs of T-Series.

The case was later handed over to the police station in Sector 19.

CULTURE

Under the shadow of a legend
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21
As a man devoted to the arts, Amit Kumar makes more sense than many others who belong to his genre. He is crisp in his tone, stingy in his tenor, yet melodious in his rendering. A strange combination though, yet it comes naturally to Amit who has grown under the shadow of his father Kishore Kumar.

And no matter how hard Amit might have tried to underline his own style of presentation, the larger-than-life image of Kishore Kumar has always followed him where ever he has forayed. But that does not disturb him, who talks and sings straight from the heart. In the city today to perform on the concluding day of the Music Day celebrations in the Sector 17 Plaza, Amit admitted, “Eversince my father departed, I have tried to do what he always wanted me to. He used to tell me that I must sing like myself. I have made efforts to do that, but as I share my genes with those of my father, it is difficult to slip out of his shadow. I am, after all, his reflection.”

And as he doled out his crisp remarks about the current music scenario in the country, the conversation kept getting more interesting. “I don’t say that the music directors of these days are not talented, but they are so much overpowered by the demands of commercial cinema that they cannot create anything fresh. They offer what the producers want them to. In the bargain, the spirit of creativity is crushed to the ground.”

Going back to the days when R.D. Burman, Shankar Jaikishan, Madan Mohan and Laxmikant Pyarelal struck divine melodies, Amit added, “We cannot even conceive of doing what these people have already done. They were rich and original, so much so that even while 10 melodies played at the same time you could easily distinguish which one was created by whom. There is no such style of music today.”

No wonder Amit Kumar has not pursued playback singing in Bollywood so much. First, because he hates the term Bollywood which, he feels, is cheap import of Hollywood and secondly, because he secures more peace from stage performances than anything else. “I am happy doing shows. That is what I am meant to be doing.”

Amit is, however, working towards some special projects. The latest album, about to hit the stands in August is Mehjabeen. It is a mix of melodies which traces all human emotions. There is yet another album from Universal wherein Amit will sing versions of his own father. This is for the first time he will do any such thing. This cassette will be released on October 13. Lastly, Amit is planning to launch his brother, Sumit, by next year. The album, titled Blood brothers, will feature both Amit and Sumit.

In the evening, Amit Kumar regaled the audience at Sector 17 Plaza where people had gathered to celebrate the conclusion of Music Day organised by Alliance Francaise, UT Administration and Plaza Carnival. He was accompanied by budding singers like Aushim, Araasha, and a live troupe from Mumbai.

Audience relishes qawwali feast
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 21
Breaking the monotony of pop concerts that have become a regular feature in city these days, an evening of qawalis presented by Mohammad Anis Nazir and his group in the Punjab Arts Council auditorium came as a whiff of fresh air. As the auditorium echoed with thunderous clapping accompanied by rise and fall of voices giving expression to soul-searching ‘kalams’ by this eight-membered troupe, the audience could not help but remain captivated throughout the one-and-half-hour long performance.

For Anis Nazir, who has been in qawali singing for the past 30 years, every single performance evokes the same passion in him. “I started singing in ‘dargahs’ and other religious places, but every single performance, whether it is aimed at entertainment or has a religious purpose, evokes the same passion in me,” he says.

He has inherited this art from his forefathers. “Besides singing, I have started composing qawalis myself,” he says. His moment of triumph was when Ketan Anand heard him singing ‘Agar tujhse mera mukaddar na badla,’ and adopted it’s tune for the famous song ‘Yeh mana mere jaan’ sung Mohammad Rafi for his movie ‘Haste Zakham.’

Today, he started the performance with a prayer “Khuda ki liye” and continued to sing his own compositions like “Jise mil gaya kamli wala”, “Sadke teri aankhon ke” and others, both in Urdu and Punjabi, leading a variety to the show.

He was accompanied by Mohammad Anwar on the tabla, Mohammad Saukat Ali on the harmonium, Mohammad Farooq, Mohammad Shafiq, Mohammad Nazir and Mohammad Shabir Ali. The programme was orgainsed by the Indian Council for Culture Relations in collaboration with the Punjab Arts Council.

Soothing melodies from Aushim, Araasha
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21
There is yet another musical treat in the pipeline, this time from two budding singers, who seem to possess all that it takes to be around and happening. ‘Dil na jaane’, as the music album is titled, has soothing melodies in the voices of Aushim Khetarpal and Araasha, the twosome who have blended Indian rhythms with Latin influences to make a beautiful mix of music.

Having launched the audio album in Delhi yesterday, Aushim and Araasha were in the city today for the formal launch of their debut album in North India. The interesting part of the project is its wide appeal which stems from the presence of three more singers, including Shaan and Sunidhi Chauhan, who have rendered one song each in the album. Zubin has also sung for Aushim and Araasha.

Melody is what brought all the singers together to present all that they could in their respective styles. So where Aushim works on romantic themes and presents them in a soothing mould, Araasha is more husky and strong with a voice full of punch. The western classical grounding gives her voice a solid base, a base which suits the Latin influences in the album very well.

As the singer said today, “I have trained for over 10 years under country’s one of the most well known western classical trainers Paranjoti chorus. I have sung a lot of Soprano.” With a number of performances to her credit, Araasha is by now quite live wire on stage and she has performed not only for Indian but also Western audiences outside India. Not just that, Araasha has also done theatre with Alyque Padamsee, apart from having worked in many theatre comedies with Dinyar Contractor. If that was less, many famous ads have Araasha voice.

In the album she has a duet titled yaad karne laga kyun with Aushim, who, on his part, has struggled a lot before making it into the showbiz. Starting as a sports journalist and then a sports management company director, Aushim later ventured into production. He formed his Divine Entertainment Limited and went public, his first production coming under the banner of Shirdi Sai Baba which featured Sudhir Dalvi, Suresh Oberoi, Divya Dutta, Alok Nath and Dharamendra, among others.

Aushim later had his stints at acting in ‘Aap jaisa koi’, ‘Tumhi na the’ (a bilingual production in Hindi and Bengali), Sarkar with Sunil Shetty and Mahima and Sanghaat. Aushim features in yet another untitled production by Madhur Bhandarkar of Chandni Bar fame.

Music came naturally to Aushim, who realised that he was meant to be singing. Thus happened ‘Dil na jaane’, which has music and lyrics by Sabba Narang. A video featuring extensive composites has been shot by Mr B.B. Mukherjee for yet another track of the album, titled ‘Aaj raat’. Currently on a promotional tour for the album, Aushim and Araasha have also roped in the support of singer Amit Kumar, who is the patron for the album.

A special screening of songs from the album was also held at hotel Shivalikview today.